weddings 101

We’ve all been there: you get a wedding invitation in the mail and realize that, gulp, you don’t have a suitable plus one. While the option of going solo is always there, a recent survey from Match.com reveals that 25% of single Canadian men would not attend a wedding solo, while 20% of female Canadian singletons would decline a wedding invite because she didn’t have a date. Which is kind of a shame–the couple loves you enough to include you in their celebration, so why should your single status prevent you from an evening of schmoozing and free boozing?! Kimberly Moffit, the Canadian Relationship Insider for Match.com, offers up some survival tips for attending a wedding solo.

1. Let go of fear. Attending a wedding solo can be liberating–after all, weddings are a great place to meet people, whether it’s your next crush or a professional contact. Don’t feel that just because the invitation included a “plus one” that you have to bring a date. “There are times when it’s better to fly solo,” says Moffit.

2. Make goals to mingle. Don’t spend the night hiding in the ladies room just because you’re sans date. This is a party, so enjoy yourself! “Try to set goals ahead of time, like committing to ask at least one person to dance or speaking to three people you don’t know,” says Moffit. Talk to people at different tables, get out on the dance floor and introduce yourself to people you’ve never met before. You never know what meeting someone new might lead to.

3. Realize that you don’t stand out. Maybe attending a wedding solo is the real-life equivalent to that dream we’ve all had where you show up at work and you’ve forgotten to wear pants: your coworkers point and snigger and you’re left feeling completely vulnerable and embarrassed. But that couldn’t be further from the truth (er, nightmare). “It’s easy to assume that as a single person you stick out amongst the guests or that the couples are happier than you,” says Moffit. “Remember that all eyes will be on the bride and groom.”

4. Remember why you’re there. You are clearly a VIP in the couple’s lives if you’ve been invited to their wedding. Rather than dwelling on the fact that you just happen to be single at this moment in time, join the love-filled party and celebrate. As Moffit says, “You never know when you’ll be extending the invite to the bride and groom for your special day!”